Flirting with the Villain's Mother - Chapter 10

She wouldn’t harm you.

Wei Nanyi, ever grateful and compassionate, thought first of protecting Shen Su even in the face of death.

Shen Su suddenly felt a pang of remorse for the harsh words she had spoken to Wei Nanyi, still in her white horse form, just days earlier. Wei Nanyi was a Goddess, not a harbinger of misfortune. In truth, it was Shen Su who had dragged Wei Nanyi into this mess.

Bl00d Qi! Our Bl00d Qi is now connected!

As if waking from a dream, Shen Su yanked Wei Nanyi into her arms. But she was too slow. The Bee Demon’s razor-sharp claws tore through Wei Nanyi’s back, leaving a bloody gash. Crimson bl00d welled from the wound as Wei Nanyi groaned softly against Shen Su’s chest.

“Madam!”

Shen Su’s heart raced as she watched the scene unfold. She could only hold Wei Nanyi tighter, completely enveloping her in her embrace, using her own Bl00d Qi to mask Wei Nanyi’s presence.

This was the only way she could think of to save Wei Nanyi, and thankfully, it worked.

As soon as Shen Su had fully pulled Wei Nanyi into her arms, the Bee Demon froze. It turned its attention back to the Mantis Demon, the only other creature in the Ancestral Hall with anomalous Bl00d Qi.

Shen Su’s hand rested on Wei Nanyi’s waist, the scalding bl00d seeping through Wei Nanyi’s back and staining Shen Su’s hand crimson. Her eyes rimmed with red, Shen Su choked out, “Madam, I’ll take you to a physician.”

She tried to carry Wei Nanyi away, but as soon as she took a step, the Mantis Demon raised his hand, erecting a barrier of light that blocked Shen Su’s path to the Ancestral Hall’s entrance.

Though entangled with the Bee Demon, the Mantis Demon could easily kill Wei Nanyi and Shen Su. Yet, he hesitated, mindful of the Shen Family’s last remaining bloodline. His greed prevented him from striking the final blow, contenting himself with blocking their escape.

“Thinking you can leave so easily?” the Mantis Demon snarled, his face twisted with malice. He parried the Bee Demon’s attacks while effortlessly blocking Shen Su and Wei Nanyi. His venomous gaze swept over Wei Nanyi as he spoke, and Shen Su understood that the moment the Mantis Demon freed himself, Wei Nanyi would be doomed. Given his overwhelming strength compared to the Bee Demon, it was only a matter of time before he prevailed.

What Shen Su understood, Wei Nanyi also grasped.

Her body was already frail, and now wounded, her breath came in ragged gasps. She leaned almost entirely against Shen Su’s embrace, barely managing to whisper, “Miss Shen… the Jade Fox.”

Her voice was barely audible, but fortunately, Shen Su’s hearing was sharp.

Shen Su helped Wei Nanyi approach the Jade Fox. With trembling hands, Wei Nanyi reached out and briefly stroked the fox’s right hind leg. Suddenly, jade-white light erupted within the Ancestral Hall, blinding both demons. For a moment, an eerie silence descended.

Wei Nanyi immediately retreated into Shen Su’s arms, coughing lightly. “Miss Shen, one step left and half a step forward.”

Shen Su followed the instructions without hesitation.

Unable to see anything in the Ancestral Hall, Shen Su relied on muscle memory to calculate that Wei Nanyi had directed her to move back to their original position.

No sooner had she regained her balance than the ground vanished beneath her feet. She and Wei Nanyi plunged downward. As they fell, Shen Su heard the Mantis Demon’s desperate cry: “The Formation Gate! They know the Formation Gate!”

Just as Shen Su had suspected, Wei Nanyi knew the location of the Formation Gate.

But this wasn’t the time to enter the formation; they needed to escape. Wei Nanyi needed a physician to stop the bleeding.

As they continued to plummet, Shen Su tightened her grip on Wei Nanyi, silently pleading that she could at least serve as a cushion. Wei Nanyi was already injured; another fall might prove fatal.

Unexpectedly, they didn’t crash but landed smoothly on their feet.

Shen Su felt a force tug her down just as they were about to hit the ground.

Once they had steadied themselves, Shen Su heard Wei Nanyi’s voice: “Miss Shen, this is the Pixiang Mirror Dragon Formation. Each time the Formation Gate opens, its location shifts. The Mantis Demon isn’t clever enough to find the entrance anytime soon, so we’re safe for now.”

Wei Nanyi had truly escaped the demons’ clutches with Shen Su in tow, but Shen Su couldn’t find any joy in their survival.

Instead of relief, Shen Su’s fingertips burned hot, stained with Wei Nanyi’s bl00d. She gasped, “Madam, you’re injured.”

Wei Nanyi was well aware of her injury. She glanced up to meet Shen Su’s guilt-stricken eyes and sighed softly, “Miss Shen, I won’t die.”

Her breath was faint, but as she herself had declared, her life wouldn’t end so easily.

Only after Wei Nanyi spoke did Shen Su realize the wound on her back had stopped bleeding, though the torn flesh showed no signs of healing.

Frowning, Shen Su stared at Wei Nanyi’s back, unable to understand why the wounds on her hands and feet hadn’t healed, given Wei Nanyi’s extraordinary regenerative abilities.

Noticing Shen Su’s unwavering gaze, Wei Nanyi sighed helplessly. “Miss Shen, rest assured. Someone seeks to ascend to the Immortal Realm using my life. If I were to die easily at another’s hands, his grand scheme would be for naught. These wounds are hardly fatal—merely painful.”

Though Wei Nanyi didn’t explicitly name him, Shen Su understood perfectly.

The person Wei Nanyi referred to was undoubtedly Jiang An. Jiang An was single-mindedly determined to pave his Path of Ruthlessness with Wei Nanyi’s life, so naturally, he wouldn’t allow her to die easily. Alternatively, one could say that unless Wei Nanyi suffered a mortal wound, only Jiang An could effortlessly kill her—or, at the very least, someone even stronger than Jiang An.

Jiang An had tampered with Wei Nanyi’s body. This might explain why, despite having lived for over a thousand years, with her spiritual bone shattered and cultivation completely lost, she hadn’t aged rapidly and died. However, having reduced Wei Nanyi to this state out of spite, he would never willingly alleviate her suffering. Thus, while the wounds on Wei Nanyi’s back had stopped bleeding, they showed no signs of healing.

She could only endure, for the pain was real.

Wei Nanyi had been injured because of her.

Shen Su didn’t understand what was happening to her. Her chest ached fiercely, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

Clenching her fists, she desperately suppressed her emotions and asked, “Who is that man?”

She already knew the answer, but she desperately hoped Wei Nanyi would tell her herself.

Wei Nanyi gazed deeply at Shen Su, her voice tinged with pain as she replied, “He is Xu’er’s father… my enemy.”

Describing Jiang An as her enemy was accurate, but her deliberate emphasis on “Xu’er’s father” seemed to disregard the fact that Jiang Xu and she stood on the same side.

Shen Su countered, “Miss Jiang reveres you so deeply, Madam. Your enemy must also be her enemy.”

Wei Nanyi shook her head in disagreement. “He is my enemy, but he shouldn’t be Xu’er’s enemy.”

The word “shouldn’t” made it clear: Wei Nanyi didn’t want Jiang Xu to commit patricide. No matter how much she hated Jiang An, she wanted to bear that hatred alone.

Shen Su felt she had finally found a way to repay Wei Nanyi. In a rush of fervor, she declared, “If Madam doesn’t want Miss Jiang to kill her father, then I will avenge you!”

Hearing Shen Su’s resolute tone, the hatred on Wei Nanyi’s face softened, a hint of tenderness seeping into her eyes.

Her gaze was fixed on Shen Su, and the tenderness in her eyes was meant for her. “Miss Shen, have you lost too much bl00d? Why are you talking nonsense? You don’t even know if my enemies are human or demon, good or evil, or how powerful they are. How could you possibly avenge me?”

Wei Nanyi’s expression suddenly shifted, her voice dropping to a dejected tone. “Besides… this is my own matter.”

Shen Su suddenly understood Wei Nanyi better. Unlike Jiang An, Wei Nanyi carried an overwhelming sense of morality. Even in her current predicament, she refused to burden others with her vengeance.

She didn’t want Jiang Xu to bear the stigma of being a murderer, nor did she want to implicate Shen Su.

Even though she knew perfectly well that avenging herself was utterly hopeless.

No wonder, in the original novel, Jiang Xu had joined the Demonic Sect long before Wei Nanyi’s death, yet rarely troubled disciples of the righteous sects.

Shen Su changed her tone. “It’s not entirely for Madam’s sake. Being captured today made me realize how difficult it is to survive. If I were as capable as Miss Jiang, I wouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable state.”

Though she spoke these words, her resentment toward this person she had never met grew stronger in her heart.

If she ever attained enlightenment, she would make Jiang An experience such days himself. She would turn him into a beast of burden, carve him with blade after blade, and pour hot oil into his wounds, peeling back his flesh layer by layer!

Wei Nanyi gazed at Shen Su’s excessively pale face, drained from bl00d loss. She covered her lips, her expression tinged with guilt. “Miss Shen, I am not Xu’er. I could only help you escape using methods that harm your body.”

This is more than enough. It’s truly more than enough.

Wei Nanyi, with her frail body, had still managed to protect her completely. What was a mere bl00d drain compared to that?

Moreover, Wei Nanyi had lost far more bl00d than she had.

Shen Su’s hand, resting on Wei Nanyi’s lower back, paused. Her voice became more earnest. “Please guide me onto the Immortal Path, Madam.”

Shen Su expected Wei Nanyi to refuse her again, but to her surprise, Wei Nanyi’s lips suddenly curved into a slight smile. “Miss Shen’s bloodline should be very suitable for cultivation.”

Hearing Wei Nanyi’s words, Shen Su recalled the thoughts she had overheard earlier.

Staring at Wei Nanyi’s lips, Shen Su pricked up her ears slightly, but she couldn’t hear Wei Nanyi’s thoughts this time. She could only ask sincerely, “Madam, did you know my ancestors?”

Shen Su’s question stirred Wei Nanyi’s memories, and a hint of nostalgia appeared on her face. “Yes, I knew them. I thought they had left, but it seems they’re still in Fallen Moon City.”

It seemed their connection went beyond mere acquaintance, hinting at a deeper history.

Remembering the Jade Fox in the Ancestral Hall, Shen Su quickly pressed, “Madam, were my ancestors fox demons?”

Wei Nanyi gently shook her head. “No, Miss Guiyan wasn’t a fox demon. She was a Mirror Quilt.”